


too good to be true

by Weltverbessererin



Series: Mystery Of Love - Ficlets [3]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Badass Arya, Caught in the Act, Class Differences, Davos knows nothing, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Gendry's mum (mentioned), Light Smut, One Shot Collection, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, They are their rebellious selves in this, Tumblr Prompts, badass Gendry too, chapters alternate between fluffy and smutty, did someone say power couple, make pda cool again, protecive Gendry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:54:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28096485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weltverbessererin/pseuds/Weltverbessererin
Summary: Short one shots, mostly ~/< 1000 words each1. Buzzcut season: Arya gets made fun of for her hairstyle and Gendry for his PDA. He isn't having it.2. Romance ain't dead: Gendrya are enjoying a picnic and ... more until they are disturbed.3. Write it on my back why don't ya: Gendry thinks of a unique way to say 'I love you' for the first time.4. Feminist: Arya notices something about their relationship5. M'lady high (Riot Club AU): Their class difference shows in their vocabulary
Relationships: Arya Stark/Gendry Waters
Series: Mystery Of Love - Ficlets [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1771240
Comments: 83
Kudos: 155





	1. Buzzcut season

**Author's Note:**

> there comes a time when you have to stop prompting other people's stories and start writing them yourself. Massive thank you to everyone who's ever encouraged me to write.
> 
> this first idea, which might be my favourite of the whole collection, was in part inspired by the concept of chapter 20 of Thereluctantbadger's kinktober fic and the simple fact that buzzcuts are on trend and look *faboulous*.

They’d arrived at the train station with plenty of time to spare, so Arya accompanied him to the platform where his coworkers were already waiting. His arm closely slung over her shoulder, tucking her into his side and her arm wrapped tightly around his waist while he carried his duffel bag in his other hand.

Gendry nodded at the group in greeting but didn’t join them right away, rather staying with his wife for as long as he could, several feet away to give them some privacy.

“The pay is worth it, right?” He asked her, needing the affirmation to go on this business trip with his relatively new coworkers from the fancy new job he’d started only two weeks ago.

Arya grabbed his jacket to pull him down towards her and kiss him encouragingly. 

“Yes, it is.”

He sighed. “I miss you already.”

She rubbed her hands up and down his arms in a comforting gesture.

“You’ll be fine. We’ll speak on the phone every night.”

Grabbing her face with both hands, his fingertips reaching her short cropped but soft hair was when he and Arya noticed the snickering.

" _What sane woman in her thirties cuts her hair that short?"_

_"Never outgrew her punk phase, eh?"_

_"Switched teams, love?"_

_"Yeah Gendry, you sure she's not gonna bone one of her_ girl _friends while you're gone?"_

 _“_ _Nah, sweet Gendry is woman enough for ‘er. Look at ‘im.”_

 _"So_ soft _."_

They knew exactly what his co-workers were doing, speaking just loud enough so that they could be sure Gendry and Arya could hear them.

He had to take a deep breath. It’s been awhile since this happened. Arya’s choice of hairstyle always drew attention and often enough of the negative kind. Some people couldn’t grasp the fact that a woman could (voluntarily) have short hair much less shorter than the man by her side. Which Gendry didn't really understand because if he, as someone with zero interest in fashion somehow knew that Arya's hairstyle was actually the latest trend, surely others should be able to make that connection as well? If anything, her monochrome outfit with the oversized coat should really help with that impression.

Most people would quickly shut up when they learned the story behind her hair. Especially those who had assumed she was sick.

He had made the cut himself. Arya's long hair had been tied into a high braid and he'd set the scissors right under the hair tie and cut without a second thought.

People kept asking Arya if she ever regretted cutting her hair and they kept asking him if he missed his wife's long hair. Both their answers were a resounding no.

Arya had done it several times before. And it's how she looked when they'd first met as barely teenagers in a martial arts studio in King's Landing where Arya was taking judo classes and Gendry boxing to control his excessive energy. Some of the other boys were making fun of her for looking like a boy when they found out she was in fact a girl and he sent them running for the hills.

After learning that kids could get cancer as well as adults and what happened to their hair and that donating hair is a thing, eleven year old Arya and her friend had gone to find her dad's electric clippers and the friend gave Arya a messy buzzcut, neither of them realising that her chin long hair had been too short to make it into a wig to begin with and that she'd cut it all off in vain. 

So she'd let it grow back without cutting it for two years to finally be able to correct her childish oversight and then she'd just kept doing it every three years or so when her hair had reached the minimum length required. He was immensely proud of her for being so selfless. 

When they met again at Winterfell after he had left King's Landing for a job offer he couldn't pass up right after graduating high school and Arya left to study in Braavos, her long hair had thrown him off at first, his mental image of her always being one with a buzzcut. And whenever she was growing her hair out now, despite the new opportunities long hair gave him in certain situations to play with it, it never ceased to look out of place to him. Not to mention how impractical it was for her and how often it got in the way of her several athletic activities.

He loved the feeling of her silky stubble under his fingers and stroked her head a couple of times. 

It didn’t need any words between them; looking into each other's eyes was enough to know they were both thinking the same thing, having handled this situation plenty of times before. 

Somehow they were both smiling. 

As annoying as it was to always have to defend themselves and as furious as it made him to hear people talk about Arya this way, the fondness it brought on to think about why her hair was the way it was made him stupidly happy and it brought them closer as a couple each time.

This time, they don't let that negativity deter them from saying goodbye and taking one more minute to be with each other exchanging playful kisses that were more teeth and tongue than lips –he can’t deny that Arya’s caring side is a turn on just like he knows his protectiveness does it for her–, knowing Gendry will give them a piece of his mind after. 

He’d never been into public displays of affection. But everything was different with Ayra and over the years he found that it was more important to him to show her affection than to be concerned with what other people might think of him. So he indulged in passionately kissing her like no one was watching for a minute longer before he had to say goodbye for three days.

When they mutually decide it’s time to pull away, Gendry stretches to his full height again and exhales heavily.

“I can’t believe I’m gonna be stuck with these wankers.” 

They can still hear them mocking their behaviour in the background.

Arya smoothed out the strands of hair that have fallen into his forehead. "Behave," she chides him.

"I'll let them live," he teases with a smirk.

"Tell 'em babe," Arya says squeezing his ass before he joins his colleagues. 

She knows it's always been a moot point to tell him to 'have fun'. A mandatory work trip with virtual strangers would never be Gendry's interpretation of fun. Make those strangers misogynist assholes and he's sure to _hate_ it.

Gendry walks over calmly and stops in front of the one guy that’s still going on, oblivious that everyone else has realised Gendry is pissed and has stopped when they saw the expression on his face.

Carelessly dropping his bag, Gendry gets up close with the guy whose name he doesn’t care enough about to remember and looks down on him to say in his most menacing voice, "Listen up, asshole...”

He's decided the pay isn't worth it after all.


	2. Romance ain't dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gendrya are enjoying a picnic and ... more until they are disturbed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bumped the rating up to explicit just to be safe due to light smut.
> 
> inspired by the story Greg Davies tells starting at ca. 6:30. I recommend watching the video first.
> 
> https://youtu.be/tzuUtnH8hxg

Gendry thought this must be one of the most romantic things that ever happened between two people. 

He'd prepared a nice picnic in his father's estate's park-like garden, using the opportunity that Robert was away and they had the place to themselves while he looked after it. 

The sun was shining, the birds were singing, he was laying in the soft grass and Arya wore a beautiful dress with a flowing skirt that billowed in the light summer breeze. 

She was also currently straddling him while he was inside her. 

One thing had led to another and now her dress was pooling over their bodies, hiding what they were doing from the world. 

She moved atop him slowly and all he could do was grab onto her hips and marvel. 

Nothing would be able to sour his mood on this beautiful day.

"Hello lad. Didn't know you were in the area."

Gendry's whole body flinched and he screeched internally. Nothing could sour his mood except the voice of another man approaching where he was having sex in full view. Especially when that voice belonged to Davos.

Gendry panicked and froze.

It was too late for Arya to get off him, his wet cock would be out in front of the man who had been more of a father for him than his biological father. Not that Gendry had a problem with nudity, but it was... _happening_ and he'd rather Davos hadn't caught them in the act.

Especially because he'd never even met Arya before. And this was definitely not the way he wanted his foster dad to meet his girlfriend and vice versa.

She must be so embarr– Arya nudged him to get him to pay attention. Huh?

Why was she smiling? Like, genuinely smiling as if she was pleased to see the intruder. 

By now Davos was standing right beside them, hands on his hips and blocking the sun looking down at them expectantly.

Gendry just blinked.

After the initial shock had faded a bit, he sat up and wrapped his arms around Arya to keep her in place.

"And who do we have here?" Davos asked as cheerful as ever when it became clear that Gendry wouldn't speak first.

Arya wiggled one arm free and extended her hand without hesitation while still impaled on his cock. "Arya Stark, nice to meet you."

Davos shook her hand but Gendry could tell that he thought it a bit rude that Arya didn't get up to introduce herself. The man may not have been born posh, but he did think manners were important.

It didn't stop him and Arya from getting on like a house on fire.

And in the case of these two chatterboxes that meant holding a conversation for about 15 minutes while Gendry's face became redder and redder with embarrassment and worry that Davos could read his mind and knew exactly what was going on under Arya's dress while he was making polite conversation.

Looking around with paranoia, he couldn't stop thinking that at any point the two would burst out laughing and a camera team would rush into the garden, capturing a close up of his mortified face because they were on some fucking prank show.

Because did he really think for once in his life something good would happen to him without consequence? Of course he couldn't just enjoy a romantic date with Arya, no, there had to be a catch. 

His father would be behind it all, laughing his fat ass off, ecstatic that he'd made Gendry believe he actually cared about him. He's never given a shit about Gendry and just because they'd been talking the last of couple of ye–

"It was nice to meet you!"

Arya's enthusiastic voice made him snap back to reality where Davos was already walking away.

"Seven hells, R'hollor and all the Old and New Gods combined," Gendry collapsed down on the grass as soon as Davos was out of sight and stared breathlessly at the blue sky.

Arya giggled. 

She leaned forward and supported her weight on him with both hands. "That was fun," she concluded and her hands started roaming over his chest in a way that told him that she wanted to get back to business.

Gendry emitted a disbelieving noise that was half chuckle and half huff.

While he was still processing the disturbing incident, Arya resumed the movement of her hips, carrying on like nothing happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is it just me or does the looking up and marveling at Arya remind anyone else of the similar scene in Skins where Chris looks up at Jal?


	3. write it on my back why don't ya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gendry thinks of a unique way to say 'I love you' for the first time. It's inspired by something his mum used to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> credit for the title to JJClark who came across Shameless by Camila Cabello with the almost perfect line

The first time his mom did it was in Fleabottom's hospital waiting room. 

There was no one who could look after Gendry while she received her treatment so he had to accompany her and sit around for hours in the busy space with dozens of people and lots of loud kids. 

It was a bit overwhelming for his little introvert soul. 

But his mom was incredibly patient and imaginative, so even if there weren't many toys or magazines available for kids, she always found a way to pass the time.

One day she made him sit on her lap with his back to her. At first, she traced her index finger lightly up his spine and encouraged him not to slouch. That tickled a bit. 

She would adopt to do this whenever she wanted him to sit up straight from that point on.

Then she started drawing shapes on his back that he had to guess.

Gendry  _ loved _ that game.

Mostly because it involved only him and his mom and because he was really good at it.

When he got older it was a nice way for him to practice his letters and numbers.

On one occasion in the hospital, a doctor happened to observe their game and Gendry remembers her telling his mom that that was actually a good way to assess certain neurological abilities and that it was a good sign Gendry had no problem identifying the shapes and letters. Even if he didn't fully understand it at the time, it made him proud of his mom and himself.

  
  


The first time he tries it with Arya is in the empty emergency waiting room after a light fencing accident. 

She's sure it's just a pulled muscle but her coach insisted she get it checked out.

Unlike when he was little, there's plenty to do in the waiting area this time around; the fancy hospital has lots of expensive magazines, a TV, snack machines and of course they both have a smartphone but still, after over an hour of waiting (she's not a priority patient and staff is minimal on the weekends), Arya starts getting restless. And due to her possible injury she can't even walk.

The familiar situation is what evokes the memory.

He's never felt close enough to anyone else to share something so personal with. But with Arya he doesn't give it a second thought, they've already shared so much of their lives with each other, it's a no brainer. So he decides to give it a go.

She's draped over his lap, looking up at the ceiling and bouncing her uninjured leg.

He taps her arm, "Sit up."

"Why?"

"I wanna try something."

So she does, but she moves to turn around and sit properly in the chair, so he stops her, "No stay just like that with your back to me."

With the use of just one foot she shuffles back into position.

He turns to sit sideways and starts off with what he thinks is an easy enough shape: a house. 

And he doesn't even have to lift his finger off her back while drawing it.

"What are you doing?" Arya asks a tad annoyed, (waiting really isn't her strong suit) looking over her shoulder.

"Drawing on your back and you have to guess what it is."

"Alright."

Next he picks a sun. A simple circle with outward pointing lines as rays, like kids draw it.

"I have no idea what that's supposed to be," Arya declares, even more miffed (he guesses) because she can't figure it out.

"But it's a nice back massage," she offers more amicably.

He snorts, only a tad disappointed, but keeps massaging.

A few minutes later, the nurse telling Arya that a doctor will see her now interrupts their back massage session.

  
  
  


A few weeks later, they share their first bath together. She's sitting with her back to him while he's leant back against the tub. Watching the water droplets on her sun kissed skin causes his finger to reach out on its accord.

He aimlessly traces it over her wet shoulder and enjoys seeing goosebumps rising in its path. It inspires him to start drawing patterns again, so he lets his hand fall lower and starts.

Arya recognises what he's doing but doesn't recognise  _ what _ he's drawing.

Thinking maybe words might be easier, he tries writing 'hello'. 

"Nope, still nothing," Arya informs him, playing with the soap bubbles in front of her, letting them glide off her hands into the water.

It cracks him up this time and he throws his arms up in disbelief. "Literally how can you be so bad at this." 

He's genuinely taken aback because he never thought it was a big deal and Arya is more than intelligent enough to figure it out. That's one of the things he loves about her. 

That gives him an idea.

He loves her, but he hasn't told her yet. Not in those three words anyway. Words aren't exactly his strength and it's never felt like the right moment. But what better time than when you're alone, naked and relaxed?

  
  


Even if she won't know it, he's gonna write "I love U" on her back. That way, when they've both said it (in the near future he hopes), he'll be able to say that he actually said it before (they're both competitive like that). It's also a safe way to take such a big step. Almost like a rehearsal before the real deal. There's no risk of her not saying it back, because even though Gendry is pretty sure she loves him too, there's always that tiny bit of doubt and insecurity when it comes to matters of the heart.

Grinning from ear to ear, he gets to work. He's pretty proud of himself for thinking of this.

He has to space the letters quite close together on her small back, but he thinks it would be readable (if Arya could understand what he wrote in the first place).

As expected, she doesn't react to the message. She just keeps playing with the bubbles.

But then her hands still.

She swishes around, splashing water everywhere in the process and looks at him wide eyed. 

He's not grinning anymore.

Then she shoots forward and kisses him hard on the lips which makes him grin again. 

When she withdraws she still looks awestruck.

"You love me?" She asks quietly.

"You understood that?!" He asks confused, impressed, happy and a little too loud.

She hits him lightly in the shoulder. "That's what you got from that?"

He laughs, all insecurities forgotten. "Of course. Of course I love you."

For a moment he just looks at her lovely flushed face, wet strands of hair plastered to it, and reaches out to brush one away.

When he looks into her eyes again, she leans forward and wraps her arms around his neck.

"I love you too," she says and kisses him again.

"I know," he replies before giving her another peck.

"Stupid."

They both laugh and he wraps his arms around her to pull her closer and kiss her some more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is once again based on my parents basically. In case you didn't know, my parents have big Gendrya energy and my fic how I met your mother is inspired by them.  
> My mum used to do this with my brother and I and the doctor telling her she was impressed actually happened. But I didn't bother to do any research on what neurological abilities it helps asses.  
> The bathtub scene is from the After movie though.


	4. Feminist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arya notices something about their relationship

When Gendry gets up from the couch and comes back with a bottle of beer in hand, Arya notices something.

He sits back down and puts his left arm on the couch behind her, focusing again on the show they’re watching. She turns around to sit with her back against the armrest and looks at him with astonishment.

"You've never asked me to get you a beer."

"Hm?" He asks, distracted by the TV and not having expected her comment.

"When I was younger, I vowed to never get up for a man to get him a beer. I saw it all the time in movies and even in real life and it felt so… wrong. But you've never even asked me to."

He scoffs.

"Sounds like a pretty dick move if you ask me. Never occured to me to ask anyone to do something for me that I can do myself just fine."

"I know. You usually even ask me if I want something too." She smiles.

She knows he didn't ask this time, because she's in the middle of training for her first Marathon and she doesn't drink alcohol at the moment and she her full glass of water sits on the coffee table in front of her.

"'Course."

Arya kicks him softly and he catches her foot in his free hand and brings it up to his lips to press a kiss to it.

"You have no idea just what a catch you are," she says while raking her fingers through his hair.

As if to prove her point, Gendry starts absently massaging her foot. 


	5. M'lady high (Riot Club AU)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their class difference shows in their vocabulary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of the first ideas I had for this collection so I'm really excited to finally share it with you 🥰

It was late when Arya passed by the window on her way home from the pub.

On the other side, at a desk right in front of the glass, sat Gendry looking adorable with reading glasses on, books splayed out still working on something on his laptop.

She texted him and waited to see his reaction. 

He picked his phone up immediately, his face lighting up when he read her name. Then he read the text and looked up, straight at her.

For a second they just smiled at each other, then communicated through gestures that Arya wanted to come in.

The front door was open, so Arya let herself in. When she got the door of the room he must be in, she knocked and pushed the old wooden door open only a bit to poke her head in.

Gendry looked over his shoulder and grinned, "Well, come on in."

Arya stepped fully inside and looked around, taking in the old bookshelves, rugs and the rest of the antique furniture.

"Got a room upgrade did you?"

He snorted, "My tutor let's me study here."

Unlike everyone else, he didn't want to risk underestimating the workload of the first week so he decided to get a head start while the others were partying on the last day of Freshers week.

Letting Arya in had been a very conscious decision, knowing full well she'd only distract him.

She was nice, more than nice actually but they came from very different backgrounds and unlike him, she had the luxury of being able to afford taking her time with her degree and not having to work on the side and to go out to the pub every night. Not that he even wanted to hang out in a loud, crowded, overpriced pub anyway.

Since she's sat down in the chair beside him, he's not read a single line, much less written one.

It starts with her hand on his thigh and he has to suppress a knowing smile. Meanwhile Arya is grinning like the Cheshire cat, leaning on the desk with her other arm and supporting her head on her hand while she's stroking his leg and he's pretending to work.

After a few minutes she leans in closer and slides her hand further up while pressing open mouthed kisses to his neck. 

His eyes fall closed and he can't help but groan a little. As soon as he turns around in the chair, ready to grab Arya's face and pull it towards his, she's already climbing on his lap, their lips seeking each other out.

It's a slow but passionate first kiss.

Arya only interrupts it by slowly backing away to take off his glasses and put them aside.

While she's on it, she also pulls up the hem of his shirt and together they take it off, then do the same with hers. He pulls her back towards him by circling one arm around her back and cupping the back of her head with the other. Finally, skin touches skin. 

By now he's leaning so far back in the chair he's almost lying down in it and it's starting to get uncomfortable, so he decides to move them.

Grabbing Arya where her thighs meet her bum, he gets up, but neither of them wants to waste the time it would take to walk over to the sofa, so they simply make do with the thick Persian rug under them, sinking heavily to the floor. 

Arya expects him to lay her on her back so he could be on top, but he doesn't change their position from the chair and instead lays down himself to keep Arya straddling him, then immediately gets to work on unbuttoning both their trousers.

\---

She ended up with a bit of carpet burn anyway after Gendry had grabbed her and flipped them over in the middle of it.

Now snuggled up to him on his tutor’s fancy Chesterfield couch, Arya lets her hand slide over Gendry’s naked chest, reveling in the afterglow.

She hadn’t planned on meeting someone at uni. Especially not during Freshers week. And she especially hadn’t planned on sleeping with him on the floor in his tutor’s office.

Uni sure was different than she'd expected.

Gendry breaks the comfortable silence, “This office is insane.” 

Arya makes a noise of agreement.

Then she asks, “D'you ever think ‘this is too Oxford even for Oxford’?”

Gendrys moves his head to better be able to look at her

“Me? Yes. But you?”

She playfully hits his chest, "I told you I’m not that posh.”

That makes him snort, “Arya, the way you talk alone gives it away.”

“No it doesn’t!” She says, sitting up, her voice a bit too shrill, but her accent still too distinguished. It males him laugh. 

She clears her throat and starts rhythmically shaking her head from side to side, “‘Aight mate, see ya la’ah.”

Still laughing, he reaches for her mouth to make her stop talking.

“That was horrible, don’t ever do it again."

Arya lays back down at Gendry's side and he kisses her head.

“I’m still not posh.”

“Yes you are, you say 'loo'!”

“And what do you call it?”

“Me and the majority of the country call it 'toilette'.”

This is honestly news to her. 

"Huh. Napkin?"

"Serviette."

"Pudding?"

"Oh my god," Gendry throws his head back and squeezes her hand that's lying on his chest in the process." Dessert!"

Trying to think of another example, Arya gets an idea.

She starts sliding her hand down his abdomen under the blanket they had carelessly thrown over themselves, and seductively asks, "Dick?", Aiming for just that part of his anatomy.

He groans when she reaches it and whispers, "Yeah, dick", leaning down to capture her lips. 

They'd really talked enough now. 

**Author's Note:**

> if you liked this, i have good news: i can garuantee *at least* 8 more pieces because they're mostly written already.  
> what i can also spoil is that at least three chapters will more or less be about aray's boobs. which is one reason for the rating. strong language is another. there won't be any full on smut tho.
> 
> for anyone who's anxious about commenting (like me), don't pressure yourself. if you'd like to comment something, emojis are 100% valid and highly appreciated :))


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